Forever Young

God is younger than all else. St. Augustine

I have a 99-year-old mother who doesn’t worry about the gap between a body that hurts and a youthful spirit. 'I just think young,' she insists.

My mom is hopeful. Visiting her at my childhood home in Long Beach, CA always includes walks around the neighborhood. Annoying: residents race out to update her on their progress/ regress. She uplifts them, I nudge her, and we proceed onto the next admirer.

You might ascribe mom’s sunniness to natural factors: good genes and weather, a disciplined attitude of expectancy, caring (if impatient) children.

But youthful hope breaks down. Beachy weather becomes a wildfire, her fragile body aches, and peers die off (mom is the queen of the memorials). 'When life grows short,' writes Joseph Pieper, 'hope grows weary; the "not yet" turns into the ''has-been"' (His book On Hope is my favorite on the subject). Looking back eclipses expectancy of what’s ahead.

Yeah, mom revisits golden days. But mostly I witness her choice to embrace the present day. At 67, I am challenged: her hope of something good to come at 99 invites me to consider the possibility that I might have another one-third of my life left! Yikes. I rebuke my musing on the big sleep.

I am convinced that mom’s youthfulness is founded on supernatural hope. As a disciplined Christian, she begins the day with Scripture and ventures out weekly for Holy Communion. Every talk with one of her four kids includes prayer to Jesus, for her or the needs of a loved one.

Mom longs for Dad (he passed several years ago) and has a host of interests and younger friends, but increasingly, Jesus is the One she wants. She longs to be with Him. In the meantime, she is happy to share Jesus with those she loves, especially non-believers. Because they adore her, neighbors bow their heads in feigned agreement when she insists on Jesus blessing the food, the friend, etc.

Gracious longevity has its privileges.

Pope Francis initiated a Jubilee of Hope this year. I am all for it! As he exhorts us to 'fan the flame of hope as to gain new strength and certainty' in Jesus and a bright future, I think of my mom. She embodies Jesus-centric hope better than anyone I know.  

Nah, it’s not genes. It’s Jesus. Forever young.

'The gift of youth that supernatural hope bestows on man leaves its mark on human nature at a much deeper level than does natural youth. The Christian’s supernaturally grounded youthfulness lives from a root that penetrates into an area of human nature that the powers of natural hope are unable to reach. . . . Supernatural youthfulness emanates from participation in the life of God, who is closer and more intimate to us than we are to ourselves' (Pieper, On Hope).